


The Underlevels of Coruscant: The Cartel

by Durendal



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Republic Commando Series - Karen Traviss, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Cartel, Coruscant, Crime, Gangs, Gen, Immolation, Torture, Violence but it's not terribly graphic, criminals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-17 23:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7291042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Durendal/pseuds/Durendal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the seedy Underlevels of Coruscant, two rival gangs come to blows.<br/>Side story to the Shore Leave stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Underlevels of Coruscant: The Cartel

Coruscant Underlevels

“We’re not letting you muscle in on our turf.”

The woman who spoke, Zerek, was perhaps in her early-thirties and had a deep tan. Her hair was long and black with dark-green streaks and bangs. Her blue eyes were bright and piercing, and she had applied generous amounts of eyeshadow beneath them. Two diagonal scars ran down her left cheek. Her green top left her shoulders and stomach exposed, showing off multiple tattoos. A machete hung from her belt, and holstered to her hip was a strange looking, double-barrelled pistol. A lit cigarette dangled from one hand, and she paused to take a long drag from it. Around her neck was a rebreather, hanging from an elastic cord.

The red-skinned Twi’lek she was addressing tried to put on a brave face “You don’t have a choice. We outnumber and outgun you, and we want your territory.” Despite the fact that he was being held down by a heavily-muscled Gank who held a blade to his throat, he was outwardly calm.

She hoped to change that. 

“You underestimate the Trekali Cartel. We’re not the pushovers you think we are.”

The Trekali Cartel was relatively new to Coruscant, having branched out from a larger organisation on Sevarcos, with Zerek being put in charge of the Coruscant chapter. Spice peddlers, they dealt mainly in carsunum and andris, neither of which could be mined anywhere else except for Sevarcos. The rarity of the spice, coupled with their intensively addictive properties meant that the Trekali Cartel was rapidly expanding. 

Naturally, other gangs took exception to that. 

“You know why you’re here?”

The Twi’lek peered at her hopefully “Ransom?”

She almost chuckled at that “How optimistic. No, you’re here to send a message.”

The Twi’lek’s eyes widened and he began to tremble. 

She held out a holo-transmitter “Call your boss.”

The Twi’lek’s eyes darted from Zerek to the holo-transmitter and back again.

Zerek exhaled through her nose and put a hand on her machete “Do it, or you lose an ear.” 

Not taking his eyes off of her, the Twi’lek hesitantly took the device from her hand. His fingers shook as he punched in the com-code. After a moment, a small, holographic form sprung to life. A well-dressed, stocky, middle-aged Twi’lek with a scar running down his right eye stood in the palm of the captured Twi’lek’s hand. Hebdor Lobas, the capo of the Nerras, a Twi’lek gang of spice dealers, and the Cartel’s chief rivals on Coruscant. 

The mobster glowered at Zerek with his good eye “Who is this?” 

Zerek glared right back “You made a mistake when you targeted us, Lobas.” 

Lobas growled “The only mistake I made was sending so few men to kill you!”

Zerek nodded “Speaking of.” She motioned to the Gank, who hauled the Twi’lek into the holo-emitters range and held him there by the back of his neck. Lobas’ eye flicked to his thug and he bared his teeth anger. 

“You stupid, weak, worthless, trash!” Lobas snarled, causing the captured Twi’lek to flinch. 

“He has a message for you.” Zerek turned to the captured Twi’lek “Isn’t that right?” 

The Twi’lek began to sweat profusely, his eyes darting between Zerek and Lobas’ figure. 

Zerek sighed “Scream for me.”

He looked up at her, startled “What?!”

She unholstered her pistol and fired it directly into the Twi’lek’s right knee. He howled in pain when the bullet connected, shattering his kneecap. As he screamed, he thrashed wildly in the Gank’s grasp, though it did no good, the Gank held firm. Blood poured freely from the wound, flowing down his leg and pooling onto the ferrocrete. 

“The Trekali Cartel runs this part of Coruscant now. Cross us and you die, like your man here soon will.”

“Listen to me, you bitch-!” Lobas spat.

“The message hasn’t concluded yet,” Zerek said firmly, holding up one hand. She motioned to her men “Burn him alive.”

The Gank had to tighten his grip as the terrified Twi’lek struggled madly in the cyborg’s grip. The Gank dragged the Twi’lek over to an empty barrel, as two more men carried over canisters of Malastarian fuel. 

“Is the message sinking in?” Zerek asked Lobas, putting the cigarette to her lips. 

The Twi’lek thrashed and screamed as he was forced into the barrel. When they doused him with fuel, he began to plead and sob. Zerek watched it all with impassionate silence.

“Please, not like this! Shoot me! Just not this!” The Twi’lek begged, his arms reaching out to her. 

Zerek stood over him for a moment. She took another pull from her cigarette, before she spoke. 

“You shouldn’t have tried to challenge me.”

And at that, she flicked her cigarette at him. He screamed as it struck his flesh, lighting the fuel. Flames sprung up instantly, his skin 

“You hear that? That’s the sound of your man burning to death.”

“When I find you-!”

“I’m sure you’ll do something scary.” And at that, Zerek turned off the holo-emitter, threw it on the ground and crushed it underfoot. 

Zerek took out another cigarette and held it close to the flames. She looked up at her subordinates.

“When he’s well-done, send him back to his boss.”

And at that, she turned and marched off. As she did, she pulled up her breath mask, held it to her face and breathed deeply. 

Damn Coruscant air.


End file.
